


Little Lion Cub

by QueenoftheProcrastination



Series: Tales of the Avvar [5]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Avvar AU, Children, Dad!Cullen, F/M, Suggestive language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-10 00:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4370534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheProcrastination/pseuds/QueenoftheProcrastination
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thane Cullen wants to introduce his son to the holdbeast.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Lion Cub

“You’re not serious, are you?” Elena asked, looking askance at Cullen as she shifted the toddler on her hip.

Cullen uncrossed his arms and held them out to take their son, “of course I am, lass. Bjorn should be acquainted with our holdbeast. He’s not a baby any more—it’s a rite of passage, and he’s going to be Thane one day.”

Elena held the blond boy closer to her, his warm little body heating her side like a tiny portable fire. He fussed with a lock of her hair, his chubby fist tangling in the fire-red strands that fell down her shoulder. They were standing in their private rooms at the back of the Thane’s hall, a few servants bustled around them, pointedly ignoring their conversation. She could already hear the sounds of the spontaneous feasting breaking out in the great hall at the front of the building. Terava, the fierce red-lion that was their holdbeast, had arrived in the square that morning, a line of four fuzzy cubs in tow. The augur had said it was a sign from the gods that the hold would be prosperous for at least as many years as there were cubs, and Cullen had called a feast in Terava’s honor.

“I don’t like it,” she said stubbornly.

Cullen sighed and dropped his hands. With a slow smile, he moved closer to her, until he pressed into her side, his hand grasping her hip. His other hand fell on their son’s head, ruffling the feather soft blond curls affectionately.

“What troubles you, my love?” He purred before brushing a quick kiss against her temple. “Are you sad Bjorn is no longer an infant? Because I could give you another. I’d happily make your belly grow again.”

Elena shivered as his warm breath ghosted against her neck. She looked up at him, heat pooling between her legs at the unbridled lust in his eyes. Her husband was always an eager and affectionate lover, but when she had been carrying Bjorn, he had been especially ardent, almost insatiable, in his attentions to her.

Still, she mustn’t let him distract her with sweet promises. She shook her head.

“No, I don’t like the idea of our son being dangled in front of a lion like an enticing brace of lamb,” she hissed.

Cullen huffed. “He’ll be perfectly safe, I’ll be with him the entire time, won’t I, my lad?” He said, voice softening as he addressed Bjorn.

Bjorn giggled at his father’s attention and raises his arms up, fists grabbing in the air. “Papa!”

Elena couldn’t stop the smile that broke across her face at their son’s demands. Papa had been Bjorn’s first word, and no one could deny how much the little boy adored his father–he was always chasing after Cullen or climbing into his lap.

“Oh fine,” she exclaimed, and carefully transferred him into Cullen’s waiting arms.

“Up, Papa! Up!” Bjorn cried tugging on the long braids that hung down his father’s neck.

Cullen laughed, and began tossing the toddler into the air like he demanded. The boy’s delighted shrieks and laughter filled the air at their little game, and Elena couldn’t help but smile and shake her head—she loved seeing Cullen with their child. It had been love at first sight for not only her, but him too, and she couldn’t be happier at the enthusiasm Cullen had for raising their boy. After a few rounds of tossing and catching, Cullen settled Bjorn at his hip and pressed a smattering of kisses to the boy’s soft cheek, eliciting more screams of delight from scratchiness of his beard.

As they walked out towards the square where, no doubt, their holdbest was currently lounging in a bright patch of sun, apprehension stuck tight in Elena’s throat. Half of the hold was still milling around outside, taking care of business, setting up for the feast, or already feasting. When they saw their Thane approaching the beast with his son, they paused, watching carefully. Elena stood near the edge of the square, arms crossed tight around her chest as she watched. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roselie come to stand next to her. It seemed everyone had been waiting for this. 

Once Cullen was a few feet away from Terava, he gently set Bjorn down on his feet, though he held onto the boy’s hands, keeping him steady as he stood. The red-lion lounged on a grassy patch between the Thane’s meadhall and the blacksmith’s forge, her four cubs playing around her. With unsteady legs, Bjorn began ambling towards her, following the gentle prodding of his father behind him. Cullen shuffled after the boy, and though he wouldn’t have admitted it to Elena, he was ready to snatch his son up into the safety of his arms at a moment’s notice. As the approached, Terava lifted her head and blinked slowly.

Bjorn was in front of the giant cat now, green eyes wide as he took in the stripped russet fur, black nose, and big golden eyes. The holdbeast inclined her head and began sniffing the toddler. Bjorn went still as a statue as she moved towards him. 

“It’s okay, little one,” Cullen cooed. “Terava won’t hurt you.”

Elena hope he was a confident as he sounded. 

As if to prove Cullen’s point, a great red tongue shot out of the lion’s mouth and licked the side of Bjorn’s face. The little boy’s laughter echoed off of the buildings, and he pulled one of his hands out of Cullen’s grasp to settle it in the soft fur on the cat’s head. A deep pleased rumble echoed off the buildings from the cat’s chest, and after a moment she turned her attention back to her own cubs. The interview, it seemed, was over. 

As Cullen picked up his son and slowly backed away from the animal, Elena let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. He returned to her side and pressed a kiss to her lips.

“There, lass, I told you there was nothing to worry about,” he assured before turning to the boy on his hip with a wicked smile. “You did very well Bjorn. Why don’t you show Mama how Terava kissed you?”

The little boy’s smile matched his father’s in wickedness as he leaned forward, tongue darting out. Elena laughed as Bjorn licked her cheek, though she shot Cullen a look. Wiping the back of her hand over the offending spot with great exaggeration she pulled at face at the both of them.

“Yuck! No more lion-kisses, Bjorn, or else you’ll have to go live with them, my little lion cub” she teased, tickling him into a fit of giggles.

As she tickled Bjorn, Cullen leaned forward, his lips hovering near her ear, “Can I still give you lion-kisses, lass?”

Elena grinned and leaned up on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek. 

“Depends on where you’re kissing me,” she whispered back, nipping his jaw. “Why don’t you find out tonight?”


End file.
